The Sailor Reads the Wind

 The Sailor Reads the Wind

The sailor reads what the wind writes.

In his eye, cat’s paws crawl across the water,

boats at anchor swing into the wind,

tell-tales, ribbons in his rigging, flutter in the breeze.

On his face, the wind traces its direction, as he turns side-to-side.

The wind can be capricious, though.

And so the sailor lives in the moment,

himself breathing with the breath of wind,

ready to trim the sails to best catch its gusty puffs.